Lorenzo Ferraboschi

Lorenzo is Sake Sommelier and the third international Sake Educator certified by the SSA. He was chosen by SSA as a partner for the Italian development of the association.
His passion for sake was born during his 10 years of life in Tokyo. Back in Italy he founded Sake Company, one of the most important Italian distributors of fine sake.

Alessandro Izzo

Alessandro has a huge passion for the food & beverage world. Having worked as a chef for some years, he took the plunge with a wine sommelier course in 2015 but then realized he had an unquestionable commitment to sake; which became his main passion after taking the SSA Certified Sake Sommelier course in 2016.
He also works as the sales manager for distributor Sake Company and promotes sake culture during events in Japanese and gourmet restaurants.

Roberta Sitzia

Roberta has worked in catering for over a decade, specialising in Japanese cuisine for over half of her career. Continuously studying all of this time, and earning her Certified Sake Sommelier qualification, led Roberta to focussing on her list of Nihonshu and how to pair it with various Italian foods. With her work in non-Japanese restaurants Roberta has been able to bring in sake to experiment and use in mixology for food combinations.
She has run small guided tastings alongside her sales, which brought her to earning her Sake Educator qualification with the SSA and start teaching Sake Sommelier qualifications!

Debora Calderato

After several years spent as chef in traditional restaurants in Italy, 2018 saw Debora found her own vegetarian bistrot. In 2019, together with her boyfriend, they founded Den Ramen: a pop-up which offers vegetarian versions of Japanese food with sake pairings. She became a Certified Sake Sommelier and from there decided to train as a Sake Educator in order to spread further her love for Japanese culture and its gastronomic products.

Gabriele Rossetti

Gabriele is a yamatologist and Japanese culture trainer. He has over 15 years experience in territorial marketing, culture and tourism for Japanese companies. Through training as a Sake Sommelier he was able to deepen his knowledge of one of the most important aspects of Japanese culture, and as a Sake Educator he continues to spread his love for the most authentic Japanese tradition.

Francesco Menestrina

Francesco’s career began when as a Wine Sommelier in 2016. Subsequently, he wanted to delve deeper into the field of study and pursued a degree in Enology at The University of Trento, graduating in 2019. Then, driven by a sense of curiosity and an ardent passion for Japanese culture, he embarked on a quest to become a Sake Sommelier, and later on, a Sake Educator, in order to share his knowledge with others. Before training to become a Sake Educator, Francesco has worked with guests in led tastings and pairing dinners throughout Italy and France!

Alessandro Ticci

Hi, I’m Alessandro, I am a sake sommelier, who organises courses, tastings and tours around Italy, but if you are reading this you are interested in sake, so where did your interest in Japan come from?

In Rome, as a teenager, when I used to visit my closest friend David, whose Japanese father tended the garden in kimono. He was magnificent, also because he was very tall and imposing! When David moved to Fukuoka, Kyushu, I went to visit him several times, so my experience starts with Shochu, which is more typical of that area. Now David works for a sakagura in Saga and I am a sake educator, although far away, we are always closer.

Kanpai!

Brunella Bettati

Brunella Bettati was born in Piedmont,Italy. She spent her adolescence between Italy and Brazil where she obtained her scientific high school diploma.

For approximately 30 years she worked as an Interior Designer in the bathroom furnishing sector.

In 2015 she graduated as Wine Sommelier with AIS Italia in Turin, where she still works. In 2023 she graduated from the Certified Sake Sommelier course and in 2024 she participated in the Advanced Sake Sommelier Course in Japan; following which she was recognised as a Sake Educator with the Sake Sommelier Association.

She is passionate about sports: sports climbing, cycling (in 2006 and 2007 she won the time trial world championships).

Stefano Battini

Born in Piacenza, Italy, in 1972.
In 1997 he graduated in Economics from the Catholic University of Milan. In 1998 he began his career in companies in the Oil & Gas business, owned by the American multinational Cameron, operating in the construction of subsea valves for gas and oil pipelines, reaching the position of Finance Manager.
In 2011, together with his wife Giulia and chef Takaaki Yokoyama, he opened a Japanese restaurant in Piacenza: Sosushi Plus. In the same year he became CFO for one of the most important Champagne companies, Pommery. In 2013 he returned to the Oil & Gas business, becoming General Manager of a Cameron Division.
In 2017, he decided to devote himself to his passion for catering, dedicating himself exclusively to Sosushi Plus. In 2020 he became a Certified Sake Sommelier and from 2024 a Sake Educator.
A lifelong wine enthusiast, he discovered his love for sake. In his restaurant you can find an excellent sake list that will amaze you. When you don’t find him at work in the restaurant, you can certainly meet him on board a sailing boat, the passion he shares with his wife Giulia.

Sebastiano Gambacorta

Sebastiano is a bartender from southern Italy specialising in mixing drinks from cultures across the world – a true lover of the beverage world! in 2023 he discovered sake and Japanese culture and decided to become a Sake Sommelier with the wish to discover more about this wonderful drink.
Sake completely changed his life, and as such he started to teach sake informally in the mixology world and later become a Sake Educator. Sebastiano says “sake education is a gift that you carry with you for life!”. His goal is to captivate many people and bring the culture of sake throughout Italy, especially to his beloved southern Italy.

Simone Chiapuzzi

Class of 1982, AIS sommelier diploma in 2015 and sake sommelier since 2018, I have been working in large-scale distribution since 2002 and I have been in charge of beverages since 2006 at a large supermarket chain, I have participated in all the Milan sake challenges, I organise tastings, also with other associations of which I am a member (for example a beautiful recent sake and cheese tasting in collaboration between SSA and onaf (cheese tasters) of which I am a taster member) since September I am attending a master’s degree in beverage marketing at Alma, the international cooking school founded by Gualtiero Marchesi in collaboration with the Italian sommelier association.

Francesco Biagini

Always a great admirer of international food and wine, I first graduated as a Sommelier, from which I have also been a speaker since 2023. I then decided to become a Sake Sommelier and then a Sake Educator to cultivate my love for Japan, which was born with the obtaining of my first belt in martial arts.

Gianluca Roberto

CIAO!
I’m Gianluca, I live in Italy between Milan and Como. My passion is fermentation, mixing and food, I love Japan in all its culture. I am an AIBES bar tender, I like pairing sake with Italian food, the flavours is a true emotion and unique experience. I’ve been a Sake Sommelier since 2023. I have managed several restaurants and bars in Italy, now I am manager in a pastry shop. I love to travel and I am a father of a boy and a girl.

Laura Vendramin

Passionate about food and drink, I was always attending courses to develop my knowledge and indulge my passion. I have been an AIS Sommelier since 2003 and an Official Taster and Teacher since 2004. In addition, in 2006 I gained a diploma of Master Grappa and Spirits Taster and then became involved with the world of cheeses and cured meats by becoming a Master Cheese Taster, Technical Cured Meat Taster and Sensory Judge.
After my first exciting encounter with sake in 2018; I studied for the Sake Sommelier diploma which I got in 2021. Continued involvement with the Sake Association in events both in Japan and Italy has allowed me to develop my understanding of the culture and led to me becoming a Sake Educator with the joyful task of sharing the culture of this fascinating world.

Luca Eula

Luca started studying wine in 2016 with the Italian Sommelier Association and Wset.
The following year he became a tour leader in the Langhe and now has a wine club, continues to do wine masterclasses and tours with tourists.
A few years ago, while drinking sake, he met the SSA and, seeing his elective affinity with Japan, he decided to pursue that path as well.
He is now a sommelier and educator since 2025.

Valentina Calabro

I’m Valentina and I live in Tortona, a small town not far from Milano and Genova.
I am a school employee but I have also been organising events in my territory for about twenty years.

I like to share new experiences especially if they belong to the food and beverage world and it satisfies me to make people discover new flavours how sake can do.

Camilla Bonnannini

Cam’s journey in the world of beverages began with wine and quickly evolved into an exploration of sake, driven by her fascination with Japanese cuisine and culture. She pursued this passion with dedication, completing nearly all the courses available on sake, including her most recent achievement, the JSA Diploma from the Japan Sommelier Association. In 2024, Cam was recognised among the Top 100 Sommeliers in the UK and featured in CODE’s 30 Under 30 most influential people in hospitality, recognised for her distinctive approach to beverages, with sake at its heart. She continues to share her expertise and enthusiasm by hosting monthly sake events and masterclasses, showcasing the rich culture and craftsmanship behind every bottle.

Gabriele Merlo

Gabriele works as Quality Manager in a food trading company. Sommelier and Educator for wine pairing lessons and Master Cheese Taster, in 2023 he discovered the wonderful world of Sake and graduated as Sake Sommelier and Sake Educator. He is always fascinated by the ductility of the nectar of the Rising Sun in pairing with any dish of the cuisines of the world.

Stefania Battiloro

After a long career in the financial sector, Stefania decided to follow my true passion: the world of wine. Stefania trained as an AIS Sommelier and Official Taster, enthusiastically delving into the universe of fermented beverages.

It was this journey that led Stefania to discover sake, a beverage that captivated her with its elegance, its millennia-old history, and its surprising complexity.

Today, as a Sake Sommelier and Sake Educator, Stefania’s goal is to spread the culture of sake, to help people discover and appreciate it, and to open the door to a fascinating world of tradition, artistry, and profound harmony!